Metallica have been fairly coy about their upcoming tour schedule, but guitarist Kirk Hammett says American fans don't need to worry about being left out.

Hammett spoke with Billboard about the group's plans to support their recent Hardwired ... to Self-Destruct LP with a world tour, noting that they're overdue for an extended trek through the United States. "It's been a long time since we've done a proper American tour," he said. "We've done European tours, Asian tours, South American tours — relatively recently — but we have not done a proper American tour as of late, so we're very, very excited about it, and we're very excited to be able to do it playing new songs."

Befitting an album that recently debuted at No. 1, the Hardwired dates will also apparently include what Billboard describes as a "special stage" — albeit one that Hammett's "keeping mum" about, only promising, "It's gonna be really cool, really fun and very Metallica." In addition to a full slate of U.S. dates, he adds that the band will visit "all the usual places too," suggesting a tour schedule that could stretch on for a year or more.

Billboard notes that the band will be off the road for a bit when the Grammy Awards are held on Feb. 12, and Hammett jokingly referenced the way they lost their first nomination — to Jethro Tull — and laughed off their migration from the metal to rock category, where "Hardwired" is one of the tracks in contention for Best Song.

"It's still great to be recognized by the academy, and it's still fun to play the Grammys when we're asked. I think it's cool," said Hammett. "I think it's funny we're in a different category, but we take it all in stride."